


Back at One

by PalestAzure



Category: Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, F/M, Karaoke, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Slight OOC Ethan, Song Lyrics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27776761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PalestAzure/pseuds/PalestAzure
Summary: When it comes to music, Zyra knows Ethan is a well-versed dancer and enjoys operas and concertos the most. But when it comes to singing, that has been a mystery that has always alluded her. Will the mystery finally be solved at Donahue’s karaoke night?
Relationships: Ethan Ramsey/Main Character (Open Heart)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Back at One

Zyra glanced over her shoulder at the door whenever she heard it open. The man she was waiting for still hadn’t shown up. She began to chew on her lower lip, worried that perhaps he had changed his mind about coming, or perhaps he had changed his mind about going public, or—even worse—perhaps he had changed his mind about her. 

It was karaoke night at Donahue’s, and her friends had scored a booth close to the stage. They were almost finished with their third pitcher of beer, as Bryce sang a rendition of _Uptown Funk_ by Bruno Mars. He had the entire bar up on their feet, clapping and singing along to the chorus. Zyra jumped up from her seat, dancing along with her friends. She and Sienna bumped hips along to the beat and took turns twirling each other around. 

It had been a while since Zyra was able to let herself loose, having a carefree night without worrying about her responsibilities as a third-year resident, as a junior fellow on the diagnostics team, as an unwilling and defiant pawn in Leland Bloom’s goals for Edenbrook, as a bookworm preparing for her boards. 

The first couple of months of her third year hadn’t lent her to many moments to where she found a moment to breathe. But all of the patients they took in before Edenbrook closed had prepared her for her final year of residency. She may have been overly stressed and tired, but she also felt confident and prideful of the work she was accomplishing and all of the new things she was continuing to learn on the diagnostics team. She felt rejuvenated and excited at what her future held as an attending, and she hoped she would be offered a permanent position on the team once she completed her residency.

But tonight, Dr. Lewis and all of her worries were off duty. Tonight, Zyra was out to play and that included beer, lots of pretzels and peanuts, and being entertained by the karaoke crowd. 

Bryce completed his performance to a standing ovation. He took a cocky bow and winked at his friends before rejoining them.

“Damn, Bryce! That was hot.” Jackie fanned herself with her hand.

“Someone deserves a refill.” Zyra poured the last of the beer into Bryce’s empty glass. 

“I don’t think I can follow that,” Elijah said, as his face revelled in awe at his friend.

“Looks like you won’t have to.” Bryce pointed to Gary, who was being pushed onto the stage by Esme.

The now second-year resident’s hands were shaking and gripping the mic so tightly it appeared it might snap in half. His group of friends, Esme and Mitch included, were cheering him on in encouragement. Gary shifted between his feet, swallowed hard, and adjusted his glasses the moment the intro to his song began. 

“Is that…?” Sienna began to ask, looking wide-eyed around the table at her friends.

“What is it? It doesn’t sound familiar to me.” Rafael shrugged.

“That’s Taylor Swift. Gary is going to sing Taylor Swift!” Zyra nearly yelled, her mouth agape.

“No. Way. Gary? Our Gary?” Elijah asked rhetorically.

It only took Gary singing the first line of _Love Story_ to get the entire bar silenced. He had a smooth mid-range tenor reminiscent of Marvin Gaye. No one took a sip of their drinks or a bite of their bar snacks. It’s as if the crowd was holding their breath in order to hear the magic happening right in front of them. Even Reggie stopped taking orders at the bar and turned his attention to the hauntingly beautiful vocals of one of his regulars. And for Zyra and her friends, it was the most welcoming surprise from one of the most awkward doctors at Edenbrook. 

“Who knew your Gary boy over there could sing like that?” Bryce said to Jackie, whose smile slowly spread towards her ears. 

There was a deafening silence when the song finished. Gary, who had been looking down at the floor for most of his performance, now had a panicked, sweaty face and looked ready to flee from the stage.

“Whoo! Gary! Whoo!” Jackie rose to her feet, clapping and whistling. Everyone rose to their feet and followed Jackie’s lead. 

“Looks like what Bryce makes up in showmanship, Gary makes up in _actual_ talent,” Rafael said, while clinking his beer glass against Bryce’s. 

Bryce approached the front of the stage, extended his arms out in front of him, and bowed in praise, on repeat. “I’m not worthy.” 

Jackie cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, “Bryce, stop being a drama queen!”

Zyra shook her head as she let out an unrestrained laugh at the scene playing out in front of her. She then felt a light touch on her shoulder, which made her turn around to meet the person she’d been waiting for all night.

The joy and amusement in her expression shifted to one of pure adoration as she was finally face-to-face with Ethan. 

Because the bar was still raving and now chanting “Encore! Encore!,” Zyra tilted her head up and stood on her toes to speak into his ear. “I was wondering if you were gonna show up.” Happiness filled her as she talked.

Ethan lowered his head and placed his hands on her waist to bring her close against him. Her heart fluttered, her breath caught in her throat, at his touch. For weeks, she had to fight her overwhelming need to be close to him. But now, something in his manner—in his touch—soothed her, and in that very moment, her only emotion was relief.

“I apologize,” he said, his lips caressing against her ear in a near kiss. He gestured towards the stage. “And by the looks of it, I missed the highlight of the evening.”

“Not even close.” She smiled and breathed again. The warmth of her smile echoed in her voice.

The double-meaning in her words combined with the intense longing flickering from the back of her eyes, made a low, inaudible groan rise from Ethan’s throat. His steady gaze bore into her with a similar need. They hadn’t been physically intimate in months due to their demanding schedules. Their desire for each other howled between them like a wild current roaring through an untamed river.

“Hi, Dr. Ramsey!” Sienna greeted, breaking their brief reunion. “We’re so happy you could join us.” Sienna gave Ethan a friendly smile.

Ethan cleared his throat, with a familiar scarlet heat warming his cheeks. “Evening, Trinh.” 

Ethan followed Zyra to the booth during Gary’s encore performance. But it wasn’t as much as an encore, but a second song in an unplanned setlist. He was in the middle of another Swift song, _You Belong with Me_. Mitch ran up behind his friend, playing air guitar during the bridge, to which the audience laughed and cheered.

As the unlikely concert continued, Zyra helped Ethan settle in. She slid into the booth closer to Sienna to allow Ethan space at the end. Towards the end of her second year of residency, and when they had already established themselves as a couple, Ethan had slowly allowed himself to take part in some activities with her friends—mostly drinking. He didn’t do it all the time, but when he did, it was something that made Zyra the happiest because she could spend her time with all of the people she loved together. 

“The Rams has finally joined us!” Bryce also greeted.

Zyra watched as Ethan’s eyes narrowed and a scowl slowly spread across his face. “Bryce, don’t call him that,” Zyra teasingly scolded. 

She handed her full glass of beer to Ethan, who took it without question and began to nurse it. His hand found hers under the table, and Zyra gently smiled to herself. She slightly leaned in close against his side, feeling how his body heat began to warm her from the inside. She wondered if he felt hers, too.

“Are you gonna sing, Dr. Ramsey?” Elijah asked.

“I prefer to consume music, not produce it.” 

Zyra observed Ethan and Elijah’s conversation on music. It made her realize that she’d never heard Ethan sing before. Not even once. While listening to concertos in the car, he had the habit of drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. He was also an exquisite dancer, and she always ended up embarrassingly stepping on his toes. He also sometimes hummed to himself while he cooked. He would quote lyrics from operas, but never sing them. That was the extent of her knowledge of Ethan’s musical interest and talent. His singing voice, however, was a mystery she wanted to solve. Perhaps if she could convince him to sing something.

“You should go up there? It looks like our Edenbrook star is done.” Zyra glanced at Elijah with a conspiratorial look in her eyes. 

“Yeah!” A smile lit up Elijah’s face. “I would love to hear an original Dr. Ramsey cover.”

Jackie leaned in from across the table after overhearing the discussion. “Did I hear correctly? Dr. Ramsey is going to sing?”

Sienna clapped her hands in excitement. “Oh, that would be so amazing! I bet you have a killer voice!”

Zyra felt Ethan tighten his grip on her hand and his body tense. 

Bryce broke into a short laugh. “You’re gonna need more alcohol, Ramsey.” 

“He can have the rest of mine.” Rafael slid his glass towards Ethan.

“Not necessary, Aveiro.” Ethan slid it back to the original owner.

Sienna perked up in her seat, grabbing Zyra’s arm, as she looked across her friend at Ethan. “So, you’re gonna do it?”

Ethan silently took a swig of his beer, and gently set it down on the table. “No.”

Everyone moaned in disappointment, but the sound was soon drowned out by the next performer. It was a young man in a business suit, his tie was hanging loose from around his unbuttoned collar. His wrinkled, white dress shirt untucked and free from his pants. He was doing a drunk rendition of Queen’s _Don’t Stop Me Now_. The man couldn’t carry a tune, and his attempt at Freddie Mercury’s infamous vocal range could have shattered glass and made dogs howl. But the crowd _loved_ it! That was the thing about karaoke—no one had to be a good singer like Gary or have the stage charisma like Bryce. Even the bad singing made the entire experience entertaining. 

Zyra felt Ethan’s body finally relax against hers as her friends were now paying attention to the drunk businessman on stage. Zyra overheard Jackie joke about asking the man for his number, which made Sienna giggle. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, except for Ethan. He was quiet without any readable emotion on his face. Serious and closed off as usual. 

She rubbed his thigh. “You okay?”

He shot her a look of surprise. “Of course I am. It’s nice finally being able to spend some time with you outside of the hospital.” He smiled easily, the glow of it warming her even more. He then brushed a gentle kiss across her cheek. “If I’m going to sit through this for most of the night, we’ll need more beer.”

Zyra watched him get up and head over to Reggie. Her body soon felt cold the moment his hand left hers, and she felt a certain sadness from his departure. 

The clapping broke her from her aching need, and she watched as the man stumbled off the stage. A friend or a coworker helped him back to his group and his seat. Ethan placed a couple pitchers of beer on the table, which startled Zyra and made her nearly jump from her seat. 

“Thanks, Dr. Ramsey!” Elijah said, leading the _thanks you_ s from amongst Zyra’s friends. 

Zyra waited for Ethan to sit back down next to her, but he didn’t. Instead, she watched as he walked past the tables, took the few steps to reach the stage, grabbed the mic, and waited. 

“Oh my god! Dr. Ramsey _is_ gonna sing!” Zyra felt Sienna dig her fingers into her arm.

A piano began to play through the speakers, but then transitioned to a slow, R&B beat. Ethan brought the mic up to his lips, his eyes looking out towards the crowd and bypassing everyone but one person. Zyra could feel the strength of his eyes settle onto her, making her heart jolt, as he began to sing.

“ _It’s undeniable_  
_That we should be together_  
_It’s unbelievable_  
_How I used to say_  
_That I’d fall neve_ r”

Zyra’s eyes and mouth slowly widened as her ears were met with a smooth, relaxed timbre that rippled with warmth and confidence.

“ _The basis is need to know_  
_If you don’t know_  
_Just how I feel_  
_Then let me show you now_  
_That I’m for real_  
_If all things in time_  
_Time will reveal_ ”

She felt Sienna grasp her hand and hear her mutter something. But Zyra was too hypnotized by the surprising vocals of the man she loved. It was becoming too easy to get lost in the smoldering way he was looking at her. 

“ _One_  
_You’re like a dream come true_  
_Two_  
_Just want to be with you_  
_Three_  
_Girl, it’s plain to see_  
_That you’re the only one for me_  
_And four_  
_Repeat steps one through three_  
_Five_  
_Make you fall in love with me_  
_If ever I believe my work is done_  
_Then I’ll start back at one_ ”

She placed a hand over her heart, feeling her heart dance at the deeper significance of the song. The way he never once took his eyes away from her, and the way his voice dripped with passion and emotion during the chorus, made her feel a slender, delicate thread beginning to form between them—a thread linking both of their hearts. 

“ _It’s so incredible_  
_The way things work themselves out_  
_And all emotional_  
_Once you know what it’s all about, hey_ ”

Ethan descended from the stage and slowly approached her as he weaved through the crowd, which was now also as hypnotized as Zyra. His charismatic presence gave Zyra chills, and most likely also many others in the audience. But the difference was that this delightful shiver was one of wanting.

“ _And undesirable_  
_For us to be apart_  
_I never would have made it very far_  
_‘Cause you know you’ve got the keys to my heart_ ”

He reached his hand out to her the closer he neared, but Zyra was frozen in shock.

“Take it, Zyra! Take it!” Sienna poked her in the arm, snapping her back into a surreal reality. 

Zyra moved toward him, impelled involuntarily by his passion for her. She tentatively raised her arm, and once she placed her hand in the palm of Ethan’s hand, the electricity of the touch knocked the breath from her lungs. He gently pulled her to him, holding her close as he repeated the chorus. 

“ _One_  
_You’re like a dream come true_  
_Two_  
_Just want to be with you_ ”

The two of them began to sway as one, hips pressed against hips.

“ _Three_  
_Girl, it’s plain to see_  
_That you’re the only one for me_ ”

As she peered into his eyes, she was shocked at the impact of the gentleness in his gaze. She felt as if she were floating, and he was the one keeping her grounded and protected—and loved.

“ _And four_  
_Repeat steps one through three_  
_Five_  
_Make you fall in love with me_  
_If ever I believe my work is done_  
_Then I’ll start back at one_ ”

The combination of the strength in his voice and body created a potent magnetism that kept her locked against him. But as the bridge of the song began, he stepped back, keeping her hand in his as the meaning of the words shimmered in his soft, blue eyes.

“ _Say farewell to the dark of night_  
_I see the coming of the sun_  
_I feel like a little child_  
_Whose life has just begun_ ”

The change in the power of his voice nearly made her knees weaken. If he wasn’t holding onto her hand, she believed she would have collapsed right then and there.

“ _You came and breathed new life_  
_Into this lonely heart of mine_  
_You threw out the lifeline_  
_Just in the nick of tiiiiiiiiiiiiiime_ ”

The audience erupted in a loud cheer as Ethan effortlessly sang a run on the last word, hitting a high note at the end. Zyra felt her pulse suddenly leap with excitement. This was her Ethan? This man singing to her now? She bit her lip to stifle the outcry of her delight.

Ethan pulled Zyra once again to him as he finished the song with the final repeat of the chorus. She rested her head against his chest, feeling drugged by his strong, familiar scent. She ignored all of the eyes on them and forgot that they were not alone. To her, it was just the two of them and his voice, which reminded her of the soothing sounds of a daydream. 

She didn’t know how long she stayed like that with him, swaying together in perfect synchronicity. Even his voice continued singing in her head even after the song had finished. 

“ _Zyra_?” Her mind was now being reminded of his deep, velvety tone. The sound of her name being released in a whisper from his lips made her heart thud once, then settle back to its natural rhythm.

She lifted her head from the comforting warmth of his chest and met his tender gaze. Her cheeks colored darker under the heat of his gaze. 

Elijah and Sienna were already doing a duet of _I Got You Babe_ by Sonny and Cher. Zyra looked around, confused. Everyone was no longer paying attention to them. The crowd’s fickle attention span was now onto something new. 

“What was that? You can sing, Ethan, like _really_ sing!” She looked at him in wonder.

He chuckled deeply in response.

“And you actually know some popular music!”

“I was a teenager when that song came out. I wouldn’t say I was deeply invested, but I was familiar with the popular songs in my youth.”

They headed back to the booth, Zyra still stunned by what had just transpired. Once they sat back down, Ethan draped an arm across her shoulders, pulling her into his side. Zyra sighed contentedly, as she let herself relax against him. She had no desire to back out of his hold because being together in public was no longer a complication, which Ethan had just proved once again.

“You’re really enjoying these public gestures, aren’t you?” 

“Like I said, there are some things crowds are good for.” Ethan gently caressed circles against her shoulder with his fingers. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were publicly declaring your love for me.” She peered up at him, catching his gaze with a thoughtful smile curving her mouth. 

Ethan broke into a wide, open smile. “Now you’re insinuating I’m finding meaning in a song.”

“Says the sentimental sap who chose the song.” She jokingly poked the hard, rippled muscles of his abdomen, which made him flinch and chuckle softly. “Well, since you’ve already made me fall in love with you, what’s the next step?” She tapped a finger against her lip, feigning bewilderment.

“I don’t know what the future holds, Zyra, but I believe I’ll have to…” He lowered his head to softly sing into her ear, “ _Start back at one_.”

And just like that, she melted right back into his arms.

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by Brian McKnight's [Back at One](https://youtu.be/rXPfovXw2tw). I just kept picturing Ethan singing this song to Zyra as another public gesture of love.
> 
> Another quick note, my headcanon!Ethan wouldn't do this (he'd be more private about it), but it was just a story to have a little fun with.


End file.
